


Show Me the Silver Lining

by orphan_account



Category: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: AU, Gelfling, Gen, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance - Freeform, The dark crystal - Freeform, brea - Freeform, princess brea - Freeform, skekekt - Freeform, skekgra - Freeform, skeklach - Freeform, skekok - Freeform, skeksil - Freeform, skekso - Freeform, skekvar - Freeform, skekzok - Freeform, skesis, urgoh - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-10-29 09:20:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20794304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: ha'rar and its vapran citizens tried to spark the fires of rebellion, but little did they know how the flames would consume them whole. the skesis destroyed them all without remorse, hoping to kill out the remaining sparks that wished to ignite another rebellion. gelfling lied dead, including the all-maudra and her daughters.all except for one.





	1. Fires Sing of Forgotten Things

**Author's Note:**

> oohhhOOOOO boy it's Dark Crystal Time babeeeey  
i'm pretty sure this has been done before, but i've been thinking about this for a while now: what if ha'rar tried to start a rebellion, but the skesis killed it off before it could reach anything? and what if the all-maudra and her daughters were killed except for brea? these questions lead me to making this lil 6-chaptered fic!  
again this is just an au that i'm sure has been done before, but i'm having a lot of fun writing this so i'm posting it now! the other chapters will come out soon.  
as always, kudos, comments, and bookmarks are deeply appreciated. enjoy! <3

Fire. He remembered fire.

Every building was lit up like a torch, their insides turning to crisps. Bodies lied in the streets with their fingers interlocked around a weapon or a loved one. Ash choked the air and painted the sky gray. Not even the power of the moonlight could shine through the thick of the smoke.

Ha'rar was dead, as was every citizen who lived in it.

Through the barren streets he walked, blade dirtied with Gelfling blood. He kicked a corpse out of his way, a snarl on his face.

"Pitiful creatures," he mumbled to himself. He gave the glasses on his beak a push, readjusting his eyesight. "You might as well say that we did you all a favor."

"SkekOk!"

He whirled around and squinted through the haze of the smoke. There, he saw SkekZok and SkekLach. Their armor was coated with ash, just like his.

"We've been looking all over for you!" exclaimed SkekLach, dramatically (as always). "Do you know how foolish it was of you to just wander off while all the excitement was going on?"

SkekOk waved at SkekLach dismissively. "Oh, please. The excitement has been over for a while now. I don't see why you're fussing over it."

SkekZok grunted as he examined the burning city. "Well, there's no use staying here any longer. We should head back to the castle."

"The others left without us?" questioned SkekOk, genuinely surprised.

"Of course they did,. Why would they wait for their fellow Skeksis who helped them take down this rebellion in the first place?" SkekZok's eyes fell upon the bodies around him. "The Emperor will be waiting for us back at the castle, so we should get going before he decides to put us in the same state _ these _ones are in."

SkekLach let out a tired laugh, jovially strolling back to the entrance of the city. "I hope there's a feast waiting for us!"

SkekOk was about to follow after the others, but a distant cry made him stop. He froze and searched for the owner of the noise.

"Did you hear that?" he asked.

SkekZok and SkekLach came to a halt and looked at SkekOk. It only took a moment for them to hear the same cry.

"It sounds like…" began SkokZok. His words fell flat, for the crying grew louder.

Brandishing her blade, SkekLach chuckled. "We missed someone."

SkekOk walked further down the street of flaming houses, the wailing growing louder. "It's coming from one of the houses."

Near the end of the cobblestone street, he spied a house that had miraculously survived the fires. How it did, he had no idea, but it was still standing nonetheless. The front door stood wide open, freely letting out the source of the crying.

"In there," stated SkekOk, pointing a clawed finger at the house.

SkekZok and SkekLach approached SkekOk's sides, shock overcoming them. "In...in there?" questioned SkekZok.

"Well, let's see what it is," said SkekOk, taking the lead.

"Wait, what if it's dangerous?" questioned SkekLach as she reached for SkekOk.

A sarcastic round of laughter tumbled from SkekOk's beak. "We are _ Skeksis! _Don't tell me you fear whatever is inside that...that…" He paused, glancing at the house. "That mess of a place!" Without waiting for a response, he walked into the house.

Shaking his head, SkekZok followed after him. "A wise Skeksis in the castle, but an absolute fool on the battlefield."

"Agreed," grumbled SkekLach.

The two Skeksis entered the house with SkekOk. Inside, all the furniture was in complete shambles. The layer of ash didn't help to mitigate the scene, either. The tiles on the roof had fallen through a hole in the ceiling, destroying the fireplace in the back of the living room. Though the house certainly was not on fire, it was still in a horrible condition.

The crying screamed in the Skeksis's ears. SkekLach covered the sides of her head. "Make it stop!" she shouted.

Near the fireplace, SkekOk saw something wiggling in the rubble. As he drew closer to the wreckage, the crying became incessantly loud in his ears. Grimacing, he pushed aside the rocks with his sword. 

He dropped his weapon at the display before him.

In front of him lied a crying Gelfling baby swaddled in silk. Another Gelfling, her wings tattered and face bloodied, held the child in her arms. The baby stared at SkekOk with wide eyes and cried again, trying to break free of the silk raveled around her.

The child. He remembered the child.

Bewilderment consumed SkekOk. He took a step back, sword pointed at the infant as if she would attack him. "No one...no one should have survived our attack."

SkekZok and SkekLach saw the infant. While SkekLach gasped, SkekZok remained unamused.

"Then kill it," he demanded. He glared at the adult Gelfling beside the infant. "No one else is here to take care of it anyways."

"It's making such a racket," groaned SkekLach, but even _s__he _could not hide her surprise at the living, breathing child.

SkekOk stepped forward once more, sword pointed at the child's head. He rose the blade into the air and was about to strike until something caught his eye. Lowering the sword, he knelt down to the adult Gelfling and spotted the object that had took away his attention.

Her cold fingers clung to a golden headband, too big to fit the child's head. SkekOk would have brushed it off as a common piece of jewelry if it weren't for the fact that the adult was wearing a similar one on her head, except hers was silver. Now that he got a better look at the woman, he realized that she was no ordinary Vapran.

How could he have missed it before? The silver headband, the opal hair, the royal dress...it all pointed to one thing.

He was looking at the eldest daughter of the All-Maudra.

SkekOk dropped his sword, blinking in disbelief. "It cannot be." He craned his neck to see his other Skeksis. "Princess Seladon...she protected this child."

SkekZok finally gave into his bafflement, eyes glued to the dead Princess. He, too, knelt down and examined her. "How? How did she escape?"

"We burnt the whole castle down!" exclaimed SkekLach, dumbfounded. "There is no way _ anyone _could have survived that!"

"I didn't know the All-Maudra had another child," muttered SkekOk. He looked at the baby, whose whimpers had finally calmed. "The Vapran royal blood still remains, I see…" Gingerly, he picked up the infant.

SkekLach gasped in horror. "What are you _ doing?" _

"If you plan on taking that thing back to the castle, then you are _ gravely _mistaken, SkekOk," spat SkekZok.

SkekOk shook his head as he cradled the baby. "You two are as dull-witted as ever." A sly smirk crossed his beak. "There must be _ something _we can do with a royal Vapran. Leaving her to die would be a waste of resources."

"So you want us to raise this Gelfling in the castle?" asked SkekZok. He forced a laugh. "Good luck trying to get that past the Emperor. No one is going to allow it."

"You sound absolutely ridiculous, SkekOk," reprimanded SkekLach. She tried to reach for the baby. "Give it to me so I can tear off its head! Come on, now!"

SkekOk rose the child into the air and shoved SkekLach away. "Leave me alone, worm!" He brought the child close to his chest. "I know what's best for our future, and you two can easily be punished if you try to stand in the way." With a pompous huff, he headed out of the house.

Growling, SkekLach stomped her foot. "He's going to get us killed!" She rushed after SkekOk, muttering curses under her breath.

SkekZok turned around to look at the dead Seladon once more. Though he would never admit it aloud, he felt a hint of pity in his heart for her. With a heavy sigh, he pried the golden headband from Seladon's grip and scrutinized it.

On the inside of the band, he saw a name engraved in it.

_ Brea. _

Tucking the headband into a pocket of his robes, SkekZok rose to his feet and exited the house.

A Princess. They all remembered a Princess.


	2. A Child That Nobody Embraces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> skekok tries to defend his case of bringing a gelfling child into the castle of the crystal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: yo i just found out that skeklach uses she/her pronouns so i edited that in the previous chapter! not sure if skekekt uses she/her as well since i've been using the wiki as reference. if they do end up using different pronouns though, i will change them!
> 
> uhhh i might post the rest of the chapters later today?? don't know we'll see lol  
as always, kudos, comments, and bookmarks, are deeply appreciated.

SkekSo burst into laughter, as did the rest of his council. He pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. "I might as well make you the jester of the court, Scroll Keeper!"

SkekOk frowned as he readjusted Brea in his arms. "Abandoning the Princess would be a waste of resources, Sire." Using a free claw, he fished out the headband from his robes and flashed it in front of the council. "Surely we can use Princess Brea for  _ something." _

"Like any of us want a dirty Gelfling roaming our halls!" retorted SkekVar as he slammed his sword into the floor. "There's already enough of them in here as it is with the guard and all." He tilted his head to the side. "For a Skesis with a big brain, you didn't think this through, SkekOk."

SkekEkt giggled devilishly as he peered at Brea, wiggling his painted talon at her. "It's so ugly that even death wouldn't save it!"

The council howled with laughter. SkekOk sighed, shaking his head.

"My Emperor, I understand this sudden, but I truly think that the surviving Princess could be useful in the future," he said. "She is a royal Vapran! Now that she is the only one remaining, she's rather rare. There must be  _ something  _ we can do with her."

"Then answer me this, SkekOk," said SkekSo, leaning forward in his throne. "Who is going to take care of her? Who is going to make sure stays out of our way?" He motioned his staff at every Skeksis in the room. "Surely not any of  _ us,  _ and I doubt the Podlings would even know how to take care of her."

SkekSil stared at the Vapran child, an interested "Mmm" escaping his beak. "But perhaps SkekOk is right, Emperor."

The council fell silent, fixating their gazes onto the Chamberlain. Even SkekOk was surprised to hear someone agree with his plan.

"What are you on about, SkekSil?" questioned SkekZok from the left side of the throne room.

SkekSil walked towards SkekOk and circled around him. "Gelfling child would make great helper around castle, yes?" He looked at SkekOk with mischievous eyes. "Gelfling could help you with work, Scroll Keeper. You complain about no help all the time." He gestured towards the baby. "She is your answer."

"You are correct, SkekSil," said SkekOk. He looked at SkekSo. "As long as we keep her quiet, there would be no trouble from her, my Emperor."

"You still haven't answered my other question," spoke SkekSo, coldly. He rose out of his throne, glowering at Brea. "I will not have an unattended Gelfling child wander around here. And none of  _ us  _ are going to take the responsibility to raise her."

SkekVar gasped. "Sire, you can't be serious!" He pointed accusingly at the baby in SkekOk's hands. "There's rebellious blood in that child. She'll end up the same way the other Vaprans did."

SkekSo nodded his head towards SkekSil. "The Chamberlain raises a fair point, though. With our conquest for immortality in motion, I will do whatever it takes to get us there." He winced in disgust at Brea. "Even if that means we must have that  _ thing  _ in our halls."

Gritting his teeth, SkekVar turned his attention to a lone Skeksis standing in the corner of the room. "What are  _ your  _ thoughts about this, SkekGra? As Conqueror, you've been awfully quiet."

SkekGra looked up at the council and meekly stepped towards them. He had indeed listened to all of the commotion involving the Princess, but there was no way he could explain his true feelings about it. Instead, he managed a weak laugh. "Well, I mean, I don't see anything wrong with having a Gelfling around. Just as long as she's...kept under control." It pained him to talk of the young Gelfling like she was some wild creature.

"Have you not been listening to anything we've been saying?" asked SkekVar, ferociously. "A free Gelfling does not belong in the Castle of the Crystal!" He evil-eyed SkekOk. "She could easily find out what happened to her family when she grows older if she's not brought up correctly."

"Then  _ I  _ will raise her," claimed SkekOk, determined.

The council members murmured to each other in shock. The Emperor goggled at SkekOk.

"You are persistent with this," he said. He approached SkekOk, eyes locked on the child. "She is going to find out about her past one day, you know."

"Not on my watch," countered SkekOk. "I am the Scroll Keeper, after all. She will be taught all she needs to know by me and me alone."

"Then I allow it." The Emperor brushed past SkekOk and towards the exit. "Now that  _ that's  _ been handled, I say we have a feast to celebrate our victory over Ha'rar."

The council pushed their confusion aside and joined SkekSo in revelry. SkekVar stopped beside SkekOk before he followed after the others, a scowl on his face.

"If you let that creature get out of hand, I'll kill it myself," he threatened. "You're lucky that the Emperor is fond of you."

"That won't be a problem, General," said SkekOk, darkly. "As long as you stay in your place, I'll stay in mine."

The General grumbled and stomped away. SkekOk chuckled to himself and made his way towards the exit with Brea in tow.

SkekGra bit the inside of his cheek as he watched SkekOk leave. He bowed his head and fiddled with his claws.

"Watch over the Princess, Thra," he pleaded, quietly. "She's destined for something more. I just know it…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay i know it doesn't make sense chronologically that skekgra is here but listen!!! i wanna see more interactions between him and brea so that's what i'm gonna make goddammit!!! just don't think too deep into it!!!!


	3. Dear Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> curiosity brings out the shadows, child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for toxic parenting. reader direction is advised.  
i've decided to make this lil fic 8 chapters instead of 6! i unfortunately do not have the time to write a full fic, but hey, at least i'm getting these ideas out some way lol.  
as always, kudos, comments, and bookmarks are deeply appreciated.

Brea swung her legs back and forth as she sat in the chair, gazing at the watercolor drawings in the book. She pointed to a portrait of an ancient woman with horns coming out of her head. "And who's this?"

SkekOk looked over his shoulder to see what Brea was pointing at. He scoffed and turned his attention back to the books he was rearranging on one of the shelves. "That old hag? Her name is Mother Augra, but there's no need for you to learn about  _ her."  _ He shook his head. "I can't believe we even have books about her in this library. Preposterous, if you ask me."

The Gelfling of eight trine stared at her guardian with curiosity. "What did she do?"

"Plenty of things, but again, you don't need to know about them." SkekOk shuffled towards his desk, collecting the scrolls that were strewn on it. "Now, help me put these scrolls back where they belong."

Closing the leather book, Brea hopped out of her seat and skipped over to the desk. She carried several scrolls in her tiny arms and placed them in the glass case near the bookshelves. SkekOk followed suit, sticking the scrolls inside the case.

"There we are," he said, dusting off his hands. He looked at Brea. "I have some business to attend to, so I won't be back for a while." He lightly poked at Brea's nose with his talon. "You remember our rule, correct?"

Brea nodded, hiding her boredom. "Never leave the library."

"Good little Gelfling!" smiled SkekOk as he fiercely ruffled Brea's blonde hair. Swiftly, he exited the library and closed the giant doors behind him.

The Gelfling sighed in disappointment and idly wandered around the library. She picked up timeworn books and flipped through their yellowed pages. Though some were filled with wonderful knowledge, the rest were written in the Skeksis language that she couldn't comprehend. She eventually gave up her search to find entertainment and found herself sitting on the floor.

"Boring," she said. She played with the ends of her purple dress. "Boring, boring,  _ boring." _

She kept wallowing in her unamusement until her eyes fell upon the giant doors in front of her.

An idea sparkled in her mind. She rose to her feet, eyes wide with inspiration. With a mischievous giggle, she skipped towards the doors and used all of her strength to push one of them open. Through the crack she went, leaving the library to its solitude.

Not once did she ever dare to break SkekOk's rule of leaving the library while he was gone, but here she was; prancing through the halls of the castle without a care in the world. 

There was nothing wrong with a little adventure, right?

Brea skimmed her fingers across the black walls as she ran down the hallways. She chuckled in glee, twirling around in her dress. The morning light flooded through the open balconies, allowing the sun to kiss her face. 

The young Gelfling neared the end of the corridor, greeted with a fork in the path. She looked down the left and right halls and ultimately decided to go right.

That is, until the chattering of distant voices reached her ears.

She stopped and peered down the left hall. Silhouettes of figures she knew well marked the walls. Intrigued, she tip-toed towards the end and found the room where the shadows were coming from.

Brea peeked around the corner and saw SkekSo, SkekVar, and SkekOk in the room. While the Emperor stood tall and stoic, the General paced around with a deadly grip on his sword. SkekOk watched from the sidelines, fixing the glasses on his beak.

"There's something wrong with him," growled SkekVar. "He's been going on these travels too often." He paused and looked at SkekSo. "Doesn't that seem suspicious to you, Emperor?"

"I suppose so," considered SkekSo. "He  _ does _ seem to be lacking in his usual...grandeur for conquering as well."

"I overheard that he met someone on his travels," commented SkekOk. "Perhaps he is meeting with them to discuss something in secret."

SkekSo cackled. "Who could he possibly be meeting? A Gelfling to slaughter?  _ That _ would fit him more than anything."

"Still, this is too suspicious," continued SkekVar. "He's grown soft, but no one is willing to admit it except for me!"

"If you're so worried about it, then why don't you talk to him yourself?" suggested SkekOk, coarsely. "Knowing you, I'm  _ sure  _ you'd get the answers out of him."

SkekVar's eyes sparkled with fury. He stomped up to SkekOk, jabbing his talon into his chest. "How  _ dare  _ you insult me! I'll have you know that SkekGra and I share some things in common. I could get the answers out of him easily!"

"And are those common things being brainless brutes on the battlefield?" questioned SkekOk with a smirk. He cackled. "I would like to see you try."

"I should strangle you for that!" roared SkekVar.

"That is enough," broke in SkekSo, forcing his staff in between the Skeksis. "I'm not in the mood to see such stupidity." 

SkekOk bowed deeply. "Apologies, Emperor." He straightened his back. "But none of our doubts of SkekGra will be confirmed until he comes back to the castle. He still wanders the land."

"If he doesn't come back soon, then I'll go after him myself," said SkekVar, gruffly. He glanced at SkekSo. "If you allow it, of course."

"Give him another day," said SkekSo as he made his way to the exit. "Whatever he is truly planning, we will find out soon."

Brea saw the Emperor approach the exit. She gasped and sprinted straight down the hall. When she could no longer hear the Skeksis, she skidded to a halt and caught her breath.

Though she understood little of what the Skeksis were talking about, a part of her couldn't ignore the tiny ounce of fear growing in her heart.

Yet she gave a little shrug to herself and meandered further down the hall. 

Brea soon arrived at a large balcony overlooking the land around the castle. She pulled herself onto the railing and let her feet dangle off the side. The cool breeze danced around her, lifting her blonde locks as it did so. 

A part of her wondered what the world was like beyond the castle. Was it barbaric just like SkekOk had taught her, or was there something more to it? If only SkekGra were here to tell her, then she would certainly know.

"Where are you, SkekGra?" she asked herself.

Breaking her thoughts, a round of cheerful voices came from behind Brea. Carefully, she slid off of the railing and looked down the rest of the hall. She saw a group of creatures adorned in steel armor talking with one another. They laughed and playfully nudged each other while keeping their hands on their swords and spears.

Something about these creatures seemed so familiar to Brea. Was it their wide ears? Their long hair? Their skin that looked as if it was painted with moondust? They obviously weren't exact replicas of her, but they bore a striking resemblance to her.

Then suddenly, she recalled it.

How could she have been so blind? The Skeksis always called her this, but she had never seen another one of her kind until now.

Gelfling. She remembered the Gelfling.

As if her body had a mind of its own, Brea walked closer to the group of Gelfling. A smile came across her lips as she began to speak.

"Hello-"

A claw clamped over her mouth and dragged her away from the room. She disappeared into the shadows of the halls, and the other Gelfling glanced at the place where she once stood. They quickly brushed it off and left their spots.

Brea tried to pry the claw off of her mouth, but to no avail. She squirmed around, attempting to get a look at her oppressor. Soon enough, the claw fell from her mouth. She gasped, her fists shaking.

By the faint light of the morning sun, Brea realized who was standing before her: SkekOk. He had a terrible scowl on his face. She was used to seeing him boil over with rage before, but  _ this  _ time was much, much worse.

"There you are!" he declared, grabbing the young Gelfling's wrist. "You have quite the audacity to sneak around the castle like this!"

Brea shrieked and gawked at SkekOk. She tried to pull her hand away. "I-I'm sorry, SkekOk! I-"

"Save your excuses," he snapped. He began to drag her down the hall. "I'll need to think of the right punishment for such a dastardly child!"

Hot tears stung Brea's golden eyes. "I'm-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

"I should have you locked in the library for the rest of the night," grumbled SkekOk.  _ "That  _ will teach-"

"What is the meaning of this, SkekOk?"

Brea and SkekOk froze. They turned around and saw SkekGra at the end of the hallway. His appearance made SkekOk's beak drop in shock. He marched up to his fellow Skeksis and slapped his hand away from Brea's.

"What's gotten into you?" he asked, bringing Brea closer to him. "You're scaring her-- _ scaring  _ her, I say!"

"Back so soon?" questioned SkekOk, hotly. He brought his face close to SkekGra's. "I didn't think you would even return, seeing how you've been in and out of the castle this whole time. Care to explain yourself, Conqueror?"

"Don't change the subject on me," snapped SkekGra. "You're going to tell me why you're threatening this poor child or I'll have your head!"

SkekOk pointed at Brea. "This brat left the library and was nearly seen by the Gelfling guards. The Emperor would've fallen into a fit if the others found out there was another Gelfling amongst them!"

The urge to scream at his fellow Skeksis consumed SkekGra, but for the sake of Brea, he forced it back down. "She's a  _ child,  _ SkekOk. Of course she's going to get curious of the world around her. Her lesson has been learned. Isn't that enough for you?"

SkekOk laughed sarcastically. "That's the thing with children; it takes them too long to learn from their mistakes." He glowered at SkekGra. "It doesn't help that you're trying to defend her, either."

"Leave her alone," hissed SkekGra. "I can cut you down here and now. As Conqueror, you  _ know  _ I can."

The two glared into each other's eyes, snarling and shrieking. Brea stayed close to SkekGra and covered her ears, her cheeks wet with tears.

After what felt like an entire trine, SkekOk finally turned his back on SkekGra and Brea. "Fine! If you're so determined to defend such a weakling, then  _ you _ take for a while." He stopped and looked at Brea out of the corner of his eye. "You're allowed to come back once you've realized your faults, but don't expect any compassion from me when you do."

Brea restrained her sobs as she watched SkekOk disappear around the corner of the hall. The moment he was gone, she hugged SkekGra and cried. The Conqueror winced and placed a loving hand over her head.

"It's alright, Brea," he soothed. He gently took the child's hand and lead her down the other path of the hall. "You can stay with me for a while. Won't that be nice?"

Using the end of her sleeve, Brea wiped her tears away. "Thank you, SkekGra…"

The Skeksis still heard the fear and sorrow in the young Gelfling's voice, which made him stop in his tracks. He faced Brea and knelt down to her height, placing his claws on her shoulders.

"You'll be alright, little Brea," he said, tenderly. "I promise I won't let SkekOk treat you like that again."

Brea sniffled. "You...you promise?"

"Of course I do! I am SkekGra, after all." From the pockets of his robes, he produced a beautifully-crafted puppet about the size of his palm. It looked like a Mystic, a creature Brea had only heard in fairy tales. "On my travels, I've learned puppetry. Why don't I put on a show for you?"

A smile as bright as the sun came across Brea's face. She nodded her head eagerly. "Yes, please."

SkekGra let out a shrill, but joyous laugh as he took the Gelfling's hand. "Then it's decided! You'll be my first audience in all of Thra."

With their laughter filling the halls, the two left for SkekGra's chamber to refill the jubilee needed in their lives.


	4. Master Pretender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> brea manages to hold onto a shard of joy, but--as always--it soon crumbles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome to The Babysitting Chapter lads.  
figures i'd throw in some sort of fluff seeing how the rest of this is gonna be kinda sad askdfkjlsdjkf here's my early apology for that.  
btw the chapter titles are from first aid kit's songs in case you were wondering! a lot of their music gives me big dark crystal vibes.  
as always, kudos, comments, and bookmarks are deeply appreciated.

SkekEkt pointed at Brea with disgust. "You want us to take care of  _ that  _ while you're gone?"

"I won't be long," replied SkekOk as he readjusted the scrolls in his hands. He looked at the other Skeksis around him. "I'm asking you fools _ one _ favor. Is that too much?"

SkekTek snarled, crossing his arms. "You should have let her go off with SkekGra on his wild adventures." He looked at the 11 trine-old Gelfling with a sense of revolt. "I'm sure both of them would  _ love  _ that."

SkekZok laughed. "He would get her killed in a second!"

Timidly, Brea averted her stare. "I promise I won't be of any trouble."

"She's well-behaved," added SkekOk. He gave her a nudge towards the other Skeksis. "I'm not going to take 'no' for an answer, so she's yours now. I don't have time to squabble about this with you all!" With that, he left the throne room and disappeared around the corner.

SkekEkt scoffed, tilting his chin to the ceiling. "This is absurd. We're council members of the Crystal, not babysitters!"

SkekTek poked at the Gelfling's face. "Perhaps I should have her clean up the laboratory."

"Ah, a splendid idea, SkekTek," agreed SkekZok.  _ "That  _ will keep her out of our claws for a while."

Brea pursed her lips, but said nothing. She was used to the Skeksis's poor treatment of her already.

SkekTek walked out of the throne room, motioning Brea to follow him. "Come along, Gelfling. There's work to be done!"

With a quiet sigh, Brea trotted after SkekTek. The two strolled through the halls and soon arrived at the laboratory. The second they stepped into the lab, the critters in the steel cages shrieked and hissed at them.

"Quiet!" demanded SkekTek, harshly. His anger diminished as he eyes laid upon a green, birdlike creature to his left. He let out a small chuckle and brought his finger to its cage. "Oh, but not you, little one. You're alright."

Brea gazed at the laboratory in awe. She only caught glimpses of it when she passed by, but she was  _ never  _ allowed in it. The bubbling alchemy stations and sputtering machines brought her wonder. Even the odd creatures in the cages piqued her interest.

Alas, this astonishment was quickly brought down the moment SkekTek threw a broom and dustpan at her. She gasped and caught the objects before they crashed to the floor.

"Sweep the floors, Gelfling," commanded SkekTek. He kicked at the random litter surrounding him. "I want this place clean of all dust and dirt. Understand?"

"Yes, SkekTek," muttered Brea. She placed the dustpan on the floor and began sweeping dust into it.

SkekTek harrumphed and busied himself with his machines. For a while, they said nothing. The occasional mutter from the Scientist brought an ounce of noise, only for the lab to fall back into silence afterwards.

Thirty minutes later, Brea finished cleaning the floors. Her arms were sore after sweeping for that long. She dumped the trash into a metal bin and sat the broom against the wall. "I finished-" she began, but her eyes caught something that made her stop.

The Scientist fiddled with the machine near the orange pit in the back of the room. A pair of metal claws reached high above the pit and pulled down the Crystal of Truth. It drowned the room in its purple light. While SkekTek processed this event as yet another step in his duties, Brea watched in utter shock.

Like the laboratory, Brea rarely saw the famous Crystal. SkekTek had brought it down to his lab with ease, though. Both the machine and Crystal before her continued to fill her with awe.

"You...you brought it down just like that," she whispered.

SkekTek turned around, squinting at the child. "What was that?"

Brea pointed at the claws holding the Crystal. "Your machine. It just brought the Crystal to you like it was nothing." Her smile lit up the room. "Your machines are amazing, SkekTek!"

Those simple words threw the Scientist off. "Excuse me?"

The Gelfling rushed to SkekTek's side, touching the side of the machine. "You built this and everything else all by yourself! I want to build something like this one day."

Pride swelled in SkekTek's heart at Brea's compliment. He tried to hide his smile by turning his face away from the awestruck child. "Well, I've been building machines for my entire life. This is yet another one of my creations."

"It's amazing," breathed Brea. She gestured towards the entire lab. "This whole laboratory is amazing!"

SkekTek was so used to seeing his machines that he paid no mind to them. Little did he realize how spectacular they truly were, especially in the young eyes of Brea.

He puffed out his chest, smirking. "Maybe I could allow you in here once in a while to help me with my...experiments."

"Really?" asked Brea.

"As long as you don't mess anything up, then I'd allow it," he said.

As Brea jumped up and down at SkekTek's offer, SkekEkt entered the laboratory from the hall. He stopped in his tracks the moment he saw the Gelfling hopping around the room. Confusion came upon him at the sight.

SkekTek saw SkekEkt and walked over. "Ah, SkekEkt. You just missed it." He glanced at Brea. "The Gelfling  _ complimented  _ me! She's the only one who's ever given me respect in this castle." He nudged SkekEkt with arrogance shining through his eyes. "I guess you could say she likes me more."

"She  _ complimented  _ you?" questioned SkekEkt. He brought a claw to his chest, staring at Brea. "And you've been tolerating her?"

SkekTek nodded. "SkekOk has raised her surprisingly well."

A wave of jealousy fell upon SkekEkt. He huffed and pushed SkekTek aside. "She's coming with me now. You've had her for too long."

SkekEkt squawked and pulled SkekEkt back by the back of his robes. "Oh, no you don't! She's still with  _ me.  _ You all never wanted her around in the first place."

"Well, things change!" screeched SkekEkt, slapping SkekTek's claws away from him. He approached Brea and smiled sweetly. "Brea, dear, why don't you come with me for a while? I'm sure you've had enough of this dirty, old lab."

"She just cleaned it!" barked SkekTek.

Brea glanced back and forth between SkekEkt and SkekTek. "Oh, um-"

"I have gorgeous dresses that you can play in," urged SkekEkt. He picked up a lock of Brea's hair. "And I can even style your hair! Won't that be lovely?"

The mention of this threw Brea into excitement. Beaming, she nodded her head. "Yes, please!"

SkekEkt snickered valiantly as he took Brea's hand. He winked at SkekTek as he left.

The Scientist growled and shook his fist at SkekEkt. "You'll pay for this, SkekEkt!"

"Not in a million trine!" called back SkekEkt. He and Brea shared a laugh as they left SkekTek alone.

SkekEkt lead Brea back onto the main floor of the castle. Because of SkekEkt's brisk pace, the two quickly arrived at his chambers. He flung open the doors and hurried towards the several mannequins that decorated the place.

"Now let's see what I have," he murmured. He examined one mannequin wearing a gown encrusted with amethysts. Clicking his tongue, he pushed it aside. "No, that won't do."

Brea wandered towards another mannequin adorned in a gown the color of the night. She rubbed her fingers against the dark blue silk, dazzled by its beauty.

"These are beautiful, SkekEkt," she said.

"Aren't they?" SkekEkt took of a pearl necklace from one of the mannequins and hung it around his arm as he continued his search. "You'll be glimmering like a star when I'm through with you!"

While Brea gazed at the stunning dresses around the room, SkekEkt scurried back and forth between each mannequin. He ripped off accessories and clothing from their cotton bodies. With his search done, he threw the objects onto his bed. 

"Come, Brea," he said. "I have some options for you."

Brea skipped over to SkekEkt's bed. Her jaw dropped as she ran her fingers across the outfits.

"They're all so pretty," she said with wide eyes.

SkekEkt motioned towards the dresses. "Pick whatever one you like." He glared at the exit. "I'm sure this is better than fooling around in SkekTek's filthy lab."

On the bed lied four dresses for Brea to choose from: a dress as black as midnight with little diamonds on its skirt; a ballgown rich with purple tulle and feathers; a mermaid-shaped dress painted in maroon; and another ballgown with puffy, pink sleeves.

The second dress caught Brea's attention. She lifted it up, admiring its intricate flower designs. "I want to wear this one."

SkekEkt gazed at the dress and clasped his hands together. "A splendid choice!" As he took the dress, he pointed towards the vanity near his bed. "Go over there and I'll start doing your hair."

Brea ran over to the vanity and threw herself into the chair. SkekEkt stood behind her and fiddled with her hair.

"Some braids would look good," he said. His eyes lit up with an idea. "Oh, and a bun as well!" He squealed, shaking Brea back and forth. "You are going to look absolutely adorable!"

It only took a matter of seconds for SkekEkt to start on Brea's hair. With fast fingers, he fashioned her locks into braids. He folded them over one another, tying them off with pearly hair ties. Brea gazed at his work through the mirror.

While SkekEkt worked on Brea's hair, SkekZok wandered into the room. He spotted the two by the vanity and approached them. "What are you doing to the Gelfling?" he asked.

"What does it  _ look  _ like I'm doing?" asked SkekEkt, not taking his eyes off of his work. "I'm making her the belle of the ball!"

SkekZok eyed the fancy makeup on the vanity. "Well, then I should at least help."

SkekEkt stopped and stared at him in disbelief. "You? Help?" He scoffed, turning his attention back to Brea's hair. "I highly doubt you would know anything about the art of beauty, SkekZok."

"I have a few tricks up my sleeve." SkekZok took the white powder and its puff. He faced Brea and applied the puff into the powder. "Close your eyes, Gelfling."

"Okay," said Brea, closing her eyes.

"Stand back!" hissed SkekEkt. "You have no right to take my precious doll from me!"

_ Doll? _

"I'm just helping to speed up the process," countered SkekZok. He patted the powder against Brea's face. "I'll have you know that I'm skilled with painting one's face."

SkekEkt rolled his eyes. "Fine, but if you make her look hideous, you'll suffer my wrath."

"Fair enough," he said as he plucked an eyeshadow brush from a glass container. He filled it with purple eyeshadow and brushed it across Brea's eyelids.

The Skeksis worked feverently. SkekZok painted Brea's lips a dark purple while SkekEkt added jewels into her hair. With their combined work, they finished within a matter of minutes.

"Keep your eyes closed," instructed SkekEkt as he stood behind Brea. 

SkekZok dusted off his claws. "Ready?"

"Mhm," said Brea with a smile.

The two Skeksis placed their hands on Brea's shoulders. "Open!" they both said.

Brea opened her eyes and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was covered in colorful makeup, ranging from the dark purple lipstick to the bright lavender eyeshadow on her eyelids. She clapped her hands in giggled.

"I love it!" she cheered. She looked at the Skeksis behind her. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"We're not done yet," said SkekEkt. He brought Brea's dress over and flashed it in front of her.

SkekZok shook his head at the dress. "That won't fit her at all."

"Some pins will do the trick," said SkekEkt, pointing at the pin cushion on the vanity. He pulled Brea out of her seat and placed her in the middle of the room. "Arms above your head!"

Brea threw her arms in the air, and SkekEkt dropped the dress above her. It collapsed under her feet, but she quickly brought it up to her shoulders. As SkekZok had predicted, the dress was tedious to keep on for someone so tiny.

SkekEkt grabbed the pin cushion and fixed the dress around Brea. He pinned the loose parts of the bodice, but there wasn't much he could do for the skirt that dragged on the floor.

"There," he said, fluffing out the rest of the skirt. "Don't trip on the skirt, though. You'll ruin your makeup if you do."

SkekZok picked up Brea and stood her on the chair in front of the vanity. Brea gasped and swished the ends of her dress around. Full of glee, she hopped off of the chair and danced.

"It's beautiful!" she shouted in joy.

"She looks like a Skeksis princess," said SkekZok to SkekEkt.

"She could even be mistaken for one," said SkekEkt in reply.

Entering the room was SkekTek, eyebrows furrowed in anger. He saw SkekEkt and pointed a finger at him. "You moron! You took the only person who actually respects-" His eyes fell upon Brea, and his fury instantly dissolved. He glanced back and forth between her and SkekEkt. "Did  _ you  _ put her in that?"

"Isn't she darling?" crooned SkekEkt as he approached Brea. He curtsied to the Gelfling and held out his hand. "May I have this dance, my doll?"

Brea stopped and stared at SkekEkt's open hand. Giggling, she took his hand and tried her best to look as elegant as possible.

SkekTek and SkekZok watched the two playfully waltz around the chamber. With a sly smirk, SkekZok grabbed SkekTek's hands.

"What are you doing?" asked SkekTek, bewildered.

"Joining them," answered SkekZok. He swung SkekTek around, drawing closer to SkekEkt and Brea.

SkekTek tried to flee SkekZok's grasp. "Unhand me this instant! I don't want to dance with you!"

SkekZok didn't reply, for he was loudly humming a ballroom melody. Grudgingly, SkekTek gave in and waltzed with him.

The four dancers twirled around each other, unable to contain their laughter. Nothing in the world could harm them while they danced.

Yet through this laughter, this moment of joy...Brea couldn't ignore the pain that always managed to resurface whenever she had even a single bit of good in her life. Though the Skeksis around her had genuine smiles, she knew of the hurt they had caused her in the past. Perhaps pessimism was crawling its way into her soul now, and she didn't know how to stop it.

So her laughter fell flat while the others continued to cackle. She bowed her head, feeling completely derived of any emotions.

Acting as an odd, yet helpful miracle, SkekOk entered the chamber. He saw the Skeksis laughing and raised an eyebrow at them. "What is going on here?"

SkekEkt, SkekZok, and SkekTek stopped and stared at SkekOk with their beaks gaping open. Fixing his maroon strands of hair, SkekEkt trotted over to SkekOk and motioned towards Brea.

"We surprisingly had a wonderful time taking care of Brea, SkekOk," he explained, flamboyantly. "You should give us to her more often!"

SkekOk laughed in bewilderment as he approached Brea. "How strange. You all despised the idea of taking care of her. Why the change of heart?"

"She's like a toy," remarked SkekZok as he picked up one of Brea's arms. "SkekEkt even called her a doll."

"That's because she is!" exclaimed SkekEkt, jovially.

"Alright, that's quite enough," said SkekOk as he took Brea's hand. He noticed Brea's tired expression. "You seemed to have worn your little toy out."

Brea plastered a smile to her face as she waved goodbye to the other Skeksis. "Thank you for taking care of me."

"Goodbye, Brea!" said SkekEkt, his voice honeyed. "Keep the dress. We'd love to take care of you again!"

"But next time, we won't let SkekEkt hog you," added SkekTek. SkekEkt elbowed him in response.

SkekOk guided Brea out of the throne room and through the halls. He glanced at her and smiled.

"I suppose you had a fun time," he said.

Brea only nodded her head. She wiped the lipstick from her mouth and dropped her gaze to the floor.

They called her a toy--a  _ toy.  _ Was all of this happiness simply fake just like everything else?

Surely SkekGra wouldn't have treated her like that. If only he was there to take her away. Yes, she did have her fun at first, but now reality was rearing its ugly head at her.

But to keep herself safe, she secretly wiped her incoming tears away.

Hopeless. She remembered feeling hopeless.


	5. Don't Leave This World to Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "when the winter calls to war,  
when the spring sets in once more,  
when the summer starts to sing,  
when the fall comes marching in,  
you'll leave  
you'll leave this world to me."  
-"winter is all over you" by first aid kit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh fuck!!! it's real Sad Lad Hours for brea :[  
as always, kudos, comments, and bookmarks are deeply appreciated.

"What do you _ mean _ SkekGra is being banished?" asked Brea, distraught. "He just got back from his travels. That doesn't seem right!"

"He committed heresy," answered SkekOk without looking up from his book. "He's lucky that the Emperor is letting him pack up his things before he leaves."

Brea, now of 16 trine, placed a hand against her head in disbelief. "Heresy? What on Thra did he do that was deemed heresy?"

SkekOk sighed in irritation and glanced at Brea. "If you want to know so badly, then why don't you ask him yourself?" He flipped the page of the book. "I'm sure he would simply adore that with all of the insanity in his head."

Clutching the ends of her dress, Brea turned towards the exit of the library. "Perhaps I will."

"You're wasting your time," said SkekOk under his breath.

But the determined Gelfling paid no mind to her guardian's remarks. She hurried out of the library and through the twisting halls of the castle. Deeper and deeper she went, her path only illuminated by the dim light of the scarce torches. She soon found herself standing before SkekGra's door. Gingerly, she knocked on it and waited for a response.

SkekGra immediately poked his head out through the door. He gasped at Brea and opened it wide. "Brea! Come in, come in!"

Brea rushed inside SkekGra's chamber and whirled around to face him. "SkekGra, what's going on? Are you really-" Her words came to a halt as she saw the iron nail on the top of his head, blood dripping from it. His extra pair of arms were even tied up, and she could see how his hands fidgeted to release the bondages. The lurid sight made her clasp a hand over her mouth. "What _ happened _ to you?"

SkekGra closed the door with a solemn expression on his face. He sighed as he walked towards his bed, leather satchels sitting on top of it. Brea watched him with concern.

"SkekGra?" she asked, quietly.

The Skeksis touched the wound on his head, feeling the blood on his claws. "I don't know what all you've heard, Brea, but I've...I've been banished from the council." He chuckled to himself, placing a hand over his eyes. "I must leave tonight if I want to live. I'm fortunate that I only received _ these-- _" He pointed one finger at his head and another at his tied-up arms. "--as parts of my punishment."

Brea stared at SkekGra with bewilderment before bursting into tears and falling into his arms.

"You can't leave," she begged, burying her head into SkekGra's chest. "You're...you're the only one who's ever treated me kindly. I need you!"

SkekGra stroked the back of Brea's head, his heart breaking at her words. "Believe me, I don't want to leave you, but I can't put you at risk, either." 

Brea pulled back, gripping SkekGra's arms tight. "You have to tell me what's happening. _ Please." _

A wave of rue fell upon SkekGra. "Brea…" He paused and waved his hands about. "No, you're old enough to understand what's been going on. But if you tell the others I told you this, you'll end up just like me. Maybe even worse." He laughed, holding his head in his hands.

"Are you alright?" asked Brea, worried.

Shuddering, SkekGra knelt down to Brea's height. He stared at the floor, gathering his words. "I'm afraid not. You see, Brea, someone…very special to me found me while I was traveling back when you were younger. It wasn't until my recent trip that I found him again. Long story short, he and I came to the conclusion that the Mystics and Skeksis should be reunited." 

"Wait, why do you want to bring the Mystics and Skeksis together?" questioned Brea. "I thought the Mystics were just legends."

"Too long of a story," replied SkekGra, simply. He inhaled sharply. "Look, all you need to know is that we failed._ Failed, _I say. We went to the Mystics to tell them of this and they banished UrGoh in response. Same thing happened with the Skeksis and me." He scratched at the drying blood on his head. "I'm surprised you didn't hear all the commotion about that."

"Probably for the best…" muttered Brea. She tugged at her hair, her tears returning to her eyes. "But they're banishing you and this UrGoh simply because you want peace? That doesn't make any sense!"

"Which is why I've lost my title of Conqueror and am now the Heretic." SkekGra placed his claws on Brea's shoulders, staring her dead in the eyes. "Listen to me, Brea. You and I don't belong here. In fact, _ you _ never did in the first place. You were stolen! Kidnapped! You don't belong with a bunch of traitorous Skeksis."

Brea shivered. "Wh-What are you talking about, SkekGra? You're saying odd things, and it's scaring me."

"I know I am, but please listen." SkekGra searched the room. "These walls have ears. I can't let them hear what I'm about to tell you."

"Tell me what?" asked Brea in a hushed voice.

SkekGra leaned closer towards Brea, the pupils in his eyes resembling tiny, black beads. "Some trine ago, we attacked the city of Ha'rar. The Gelfling tried to rebel against the Skeksis...and I really wished they succeeded now that I know the secrets." He shook his head, forcing away the bitter pain of the memories. "We burned that city to the ground, leaving no survivors. _ You, _however, were an exception. SkekOk found you as a baby and promised to 'take care' of you. The older you get, the more danger you're in."

"What?" asked Brea, the overflow of information washing her with anxiety. "SkekGra-"

"They all want to use you to find a way to achieve immortality like the fools they are," continued SkekGra. "You were meant to be the Princess of Ha'rar, but they--_ especially _ SkekOk--took that away from you!" He lightly shook Brea. "Leave as soon as you can, Brea. Your clock is ticking. Ticking, ticking, _ ticking!" _

"I don't understand!" Brea covered her teary eyes. "I'm-I'm not a princess, SkekGra. Why are you saying all of this?"

"Because you _ are," _ insisted SkekGra. "Your royal family died, but _ you _survived. And you need to get out of here before the others do something terrible to you!"

Brea dropped her hands and clenched her fists. "SkekOk told me he found me abandoned by the castle and nothing more." She pushed away from SkekGra's grasp. "I know that the council is planning something suspicious--I always have for some reason--but I don't know how much I believe your story. I'm sorry."

SkekGra scrutinized Brea, hands twitching. Finally, he stood up and stared at the door. "There's proof, you know."

Brea's heart leapt around in her chest. "What?"

"Proof of your royalty." He pointed at the ceiling with a shaking finger. "Underneath SkekOk's desk in the library...you'll find the key that will confirm my story." Although he was hesitant, he slung his satchels over his shoulders and made his way for the door. "I need to go now before they add another dent into my head."

"No, wait!" yelled Brea. She snatched SkekGra's hand. "Take me with you, SkekGra! There's so much I still don't know. You can tell me everything if you take me with you!"

SkekGra turned around, a lump forming in his throat at the sight of the child. He embraced her, tears cascading down his timeworn face.

"It's-It's too dangerous where I'm going," he whispered as his voice cracked with woe, "but if you believe my story, then I know you can get out of here soon." He looked up, eyes drawn to the dark walls. "This world needs change."

"I can't do it without you," said Brea, clutching SkekGra's robes tight. "This is all too much for me. If I can't even take this all in, then how am I supposed to escape? How am I supposed to change things?"

SkekGra lifted Brea's face into the light and smiled through his tears. "You're the Princess of Ha'rar. If anyone can do it, it's you." He planted a tender kiss on her forehead. "Though it may be some time, you will know when and where to find me." He looked so distant as the pain in his heart grew. "Your silver lining is approaching, and when that comes, fate will bring us together again."

As his fatherly kiss lingered on Brea's forehead, SkekGra departed from her grasp and left the room. The door closed silently behind him. Brea fell to her knees and wailed, gripping her chest tight.

"I can't," she whispered, tearfully. "I can't do it without you..."

* * *

Brea's crying had left her exhausted. She hadn't moved since SkekGra left an hour ago. Warily, she opened her puffy eyes and hoped to see her true guardian in front of her, but found no one. A single tear cascaded down her cheek as she forced herself to stand.

"Come on, Brea," she urged herself. "For SkekGra…"

At a slow pace, Brea exited SkekGra's room and climbed back up the steps. She snuck through the halls with the shadows of the night as her protection. The library doors soon came into her view, and her fear of being found by one of the Skeksis grew. She picked up her pace and sprinted through the doors.

The library was quiet and dark, much of what Brea expected. Placing her hands out in front of her, she blindly felt her way through the bookcases and towards the center of the library where SkekOk's desk sat. 

"I can't risk lighting a candle," she mumbled to herself. She stopped and looked at where she presumed the doors were. "Who _ knows _who could be wandering around?"

Pushing her eerie thoughts aside, she inched closer to the desk whilst avoiding the stacks of books on the floor. The moonlight shining through the ceiling was her only guide through the darkness. With a sigh of relief, she reached SkekOk's desk.

"What did he mean there's proof?" she muttered. She examined the whole desk. "Why did you have to leave me with so little information?"

Fortunately, fate decided to aid Brea in her task for just this one moment.

The moonlight intensified its spot on the desk. Brea stared at the ray, and then at the desk. As the revelation slowly dawned upon her, she pulled back the chair and looked at the tile beneath the desk's legs. Some of the moonlight reached the edges of the tile, and a faint glow crawled out from the line in between it.

_ This _caught Brea's attention. She knelt down to the tile and moved her fingers through the soft glow radiating from the gap. It was cool in temperature, like a nice breeze on a hot summer day. She placed a hand on the tile and felt that it was loose. Pursing her lips, she grabbed its edge and pried it away from the floor. The light flooded through and blended in with the rest of the moonlight.

Squinting through the bright light, Brea could make out a circular object hidden underneath the floor. She sat the tile square beside her and reached into the tiny hole. The moment she pulled out the strange object from its hiding spot, the light vanished in an instant. Even the moonlight dissipated from the library.

When the light cleared away, Brea saw what truly lied in her hands; a golden headband. It was dusty, but such age could never cover its glimmering beauty. She lifted it into the air and peered at its inside.

Carved into the inside of the headband was the name "Brea."

The headband tumbled from Brea's grasp, falling to the floor with a light _ clink. _She brought her shaking hands close to her chest. Tears rivered down her face as her lips trembled in shock.

A part of her tried to convince her that it was simply a piece of jewelry. Perhaps SkekOk found it when he found her as an infant so long ago. She wanted all of this to just be a dream.

But it _wasn't. _There was no way this could be a dream. SkekGra had to be right, for he was always truthful with her. Why else would this headband have her name? Why else would SkekOk hide something like this from her?

She forced herself to look at the headband on the floor. A heart wrenching sob escaped her lips as she turned her gaze to the ceiling.

Nothing. She remembered nothing from her cloudy past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> brea to skekgra: you are my daaaad. you're my dad!! boogie woogie woogie


	6. Some Things Never Heal With Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "so i am incomplete.  
so loud, and so discreet.  
you tried to pinpoint me.  
i guess that was your mistake."  
-"hem of her dress" by first aid kit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for abusive parenting. reader discretion is advised.  
rt if you want brea to throw hands at skekok  
as always, kudos, comments, and bookmarks are deeply appreciated.

Papers laid strewn about on the floor. Ink spilled onto the surface of the desk, staining all that stood in its path. The candles' flames wavered, their wax dripping to the ground.

The library was in a state of disaster, as was Brea's emotions.

She wildly flashed the crown in front of SkekOk's eyes. "You hid this from me! You hid  _ everything  _ from me!"

SkekOk couldn't believe that the young Gelfling had found her crown--the symbol of all rebellion he so desperately tried to hide. Through his confusion, a fiery hatred for SkekGra burned inside him.

If it weren't for  _ him,  _ he wouldn't have to be dealing with a rebellious Gelfling. If it weren't for  _ him,  _ Brea wouldn't be plotting some revenge that he knew was going to happen. If it weren't for  _ him,  _ that crown would've continued to collect dust underneath the floor.

But no. The Heretic and his antics with Brea proved how contagious his ridiculous and dangerous ideas were.

"I should have  _ never  _ let you near SkekGra in the first place," he finally hissed. He snatched the crown from Brea. "Do you want to become a heretic just like him? Is that what you are asking for?"

Brea grit her teeth as she pulled back from SkekOk. "You have no right to talk after you lied about my entire past." She managed to steal the crown away from him and held it close to her chest. "You burned down my homeland, you slaughtered my people, and then you kidnapped me! How  _ dare  _ you hide these things from me to keep me under your thumb!"

SkekOk scoffed. "We did not kidnap you." He pointed at Brea's head. "SkekGra filled your mind with deceit and insanity. He wanted you to become just like him."

"Lies," spat Brea through tears. "You all banished him simply because he wanted peace." Her hands trembled. "And as keepers of the Crystal, I don't see why peace is such a bad thing to strive for."

"You have been misled," snarled SkekOk as he drew closer to Brea. He towered over her, and never had he looked so menacing before until now. "SkekGra was sick in the mind. Would you  _ really  _ trust the words of the ill?"

"He wasn't sick until you drove a nail into his skull!" screamed Brea into SkekOk's face. "He was right about everything, but you all just  _ despise  _ change."

SkekOk cackled, shaking his head in disbelief. "A childling like you has no idea what she is talking-"

"I am  _ not  _ a childling," broke in Brea, hotly. She took a step back, the crown hovering over her head as she threatened to put it on. "I am well-aware of the terror you all put me through!"

The Skeksis's eyes widened at the crown. Such a minute act like that would simply be the spark of another revolt. He stomped towards Brea, reaching for her hands. "That is quite enough, Brea!"

"You hate this crown, don't you?" questioned Brea, stumbling backwards. She laughed cynically. "Of  _ course  _ you do. It contains all the secrets you couldn't hide-"

"I said that is  _ enough!" _

Swiftly, SkekOk snatched one of Brea's wrists. Her anger crumbled as SkekOk glared at her. Even though her hold on the crown faltered, she kept her fingers interlocked around it.

They could take everything from her, but they could certainly not take away her proof of a memory she had lost long ago.

She couldn't shake away the fright inside her as she looked at SkekOk's menacing face, though.

"Is this what you want?" he asked in a horribly quiet voice that shook Brea's core. "After everything we have done for you--after everything  _ I  _ have done for you--I would have hoped for at least  _ some  _ sort of respect from you."

Brea couldn't find the words to fight back. She was paralyzed with fear, unable to find her strength.

"I was kind enough to save you from a horrid life." SkekOk's grip on Brea's wrist tightened, almost turning it numb. "With you current actions, I regret ever picking you up from the shambles that was once Ha'rar."

Slowly, but surely, fury rose in Brea's heart. Though her mind raced with thoughts, she focused on one in particular.

_ SkekGra was right. _

"You are an ungrateful child, just what I assumed a Gelfling of rebellious blood would become," progressed SkekOk. He eyed the crown in Brea's hand. "I, along with the others, have done so much to take care of you, yet  _ this  _ is how you treat us? With false accusations of something you have no knowledge of?"

_ Fight!  _ shouted the voice in the back of Brea's head. She could have sworn it sounded like SkekGra.  _ If you don't fight back, you won't ever get the chance to free yourself! _

SkekOk's scowl deepened as he looked at Brea. "Enough of this, Brea. You are fortunate that I have the kindness in our hearts to spare you from the same fate SkekGra received." He looked at the ceiling. "Imagine what this would all be like if you were not adored by the rest of the council. You must remember that it was  _ I  _ who brought you to their favor. They would have killed you if it was the other way around."

His poisonous words unknowingly ignited the flames.

With her strength flooding back to her, Brea pried her hand away from SkekOk. Fires of hurt and rage danced in her golden eyes. As she glowered at the wretched foe who dared to call himself a guardian, she placed the crown over her head.

She knew nothing of the life she could have lead, but there was still hope.

There was still a silver lining.

"You've done little to take care of me, SkekOk," she muttered. "You all used me like I was your play thing." She forced back a shudder. "I don't even want to think about what could happen when I'm older. SkekGra was right this whole time, but because of  _ your  _ lies, I almost barely believed him." 

"What are you talking about?" asked SkekOk. "Take off that crown this instant!"

"You're afraid," spoke Brea, ignoring SkekOk's commands. "You and every other Skeksis in this wretched place were afraid of the unity of Gelfling. And that fear is still there because you couldn't contain me." She pointed at her chest. "You can  _ never  _ contain the flames of rebellion that reside in this heart of mine."

"Silence," demanded SkekOk, but there was uncertainty in his tone. "You...you are making a grave mistake."

He couldn't hide it.

Fear. He remembered fear.

"Good." Brea turned her back on SkekOk and headed for the doors. "Let me make this mistake because I know it's right." She opened the doors, but stopped to look at the Skeksis. "I know you're going to tell the others what I've said, so I'll spare you the embarrassment and leave tomorrow night."

SkekOk chuckled in disappointment. "Where? Where will you possibly go?"

Brea paused. She bit the bottom of her lip, her hands pressing against the wooden doors.

In a firm and steady voice, she said, "To my silver lining."


	7. I'm Not Coming Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they can never clip your wings, my darling. you are the flame ready to start the wildfire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if i had the time and energy, i would totally write a full-on fic for this au. alas i am a poor college student who has to write too many essays :,,]  
as always, kudos, comments, and bookmarks are deeply appreciated.

Brea stepped onto the railing of the balcony, wings ready for flight. The moonlight was her only guide on this dark and anxious night. She fixed the crown around her head, making sure it was on tight. 

It was strange to feel the wind against her open wings. Not once was she able to open them freely. But now, there was nothing holding her back.

One leap and she would be on her way to finding the secrets of her past.

She was about to jump until a voice stopped her.

"You are truly set on this, aren't you?"

Brea stopped and whirled around, only to see SkekOk standing a few feet behind her. A hateful frown crossed her face.

"What are  _ you  _ doing here?" she asked, coldly.

SkekOk took a step closer to the balcony. "Am I not allowed to see my child off?"

Brea wanted to gag. "I am  _ not  _ your child." She turned her gaze to the open land before her. "I never was and I never will be."

The Skeksis sighed deeply with a shake of his head. "I hope you know what you are putting at stake." He gestured to the shadowy land surrounding the castle. "You'll send Thra into flames because of your selfishness."

"Is it selfish to want peace?" countered Brea.

"This is not peace, you naive childling." By the light of the moon, the pained expression on SkekOk's face slowly revealed itself. "I know I cannot change your mind, but I would have thought that you would at  _ least  _ bid me well. I have been your guardian after all."

"Don't say that," spat Brea as she whirled around to see SkekOk. "My whole life, you and the rest of the council have treated me either as your toy or your slave. Not  _ once  _ did I get a genuine ounce of kindness from you." Her eyes grew glossy. "SkekGra was the only one who cared for me. He deserves the title of guardian more than you."

"Oh, enough about SkekGra," grumbled SkekOk. He motioned to Brea. "Look at you. It's because of  _ him  _ that you're like this."

"Good," said Brea, simply. "At least I won't be used for whatever horrible plan you and the council have in store for me." She turned her back on him, wings ready for flight. "I just hope that you don't find someone to replace me. I wouldn't wish my pain onto anyone."

Anger and sorrow battled inside SkekOk's heart. He sighed, bowing his head. "When you leave, I will have to let the council know what you have done. You'll become yet another heretic."

Brea glanced at SkekOk. "I know." She looked back towards the horizon. "I wasn't expecting anything else."

"But you must know that I simply can't do that," said SkekOk.

These words made Brea turn around again. She stared at SkekOk with both disbelief and confusion. "What...what are you talking about?"

"I raised you, Brea. That is something we cannot ignore." SkekOk stared out into the distance. "If I tell them that you have become a rebel, they will stop at nothing to kill you...just like they wanted to when I first brought you here." He then shifted his gaze to Brea. "I will tell them that you have died, so that you will at least have  _ some _ protection. In return, you must promise me that you will  _ never  _ come back here."

The bargain SkekOk was attempting to strike should have thrown Brea into rage or disappointment, but she felt nothing. Was it because she was now immune to the mention of death? Or was it because she had better plans ahead than to stay with the Skeksis?

Either way, there were plenty of problems this lie would raise. Not for her, but for  _ him. _

And personally, she didn't care. After everything she had been through, she didn't care what the Skeksis did to each other.

"They'll find me, though," she said. "When they do, you'll suffer because of your lie."

"Not unless you keep out of sight," said SkekOk. He held out his claw. "This is the least I can do for the childling I raised."

Finally, her wrath came back.

She smacked away SkekOk's hand, gritting her teeth. "You're trying to diminish the rebellion through this, aren't you?" she asked, harshly. "You're not doing this for my own good, you're doing it to stop me so I can feel sorry for you."

SkekOk snarled, pulling his hand away. "Full of false accusations, as always."

Brea stepped backwards, the balls of her feet on the edge of the balcony. "You say that, but you know I'm right." She turned towards the wind, the taste of freedom on the tip of her tongue. "I never wanted to come back to this dark place anyways."

"Well, don't let me keep you," grumbled SkekOk as he turned towards the entrance back into the castle. "A part of me wanted to think you could be something great, but I suppose all Gelfling are the same."

As she heard SkekOk walk back into the castle halls, she closed her eyes and threw her arms to her sides. 

"Then I'm glad to be a rebel," she whispered.

With a gracious leap, she jumped off the balcony and soared through the air. Tears collected in her eyes, but they were not made from woe's hands.

They were made of  _ happiness. _

Brea flew far away from the castle, the sky encouraging her to the land beyond it. Her heart raced with anticipation for the future ahead. She let out a mixture between a sob and a laugh. 

Freedom. She remembered freedom.

* * *

The council stared at SkekOk, too shocked to say anything. The silence wasn't helping to ease their bafflement.

The Emperor, however, remained unmoved. He sat as still as a stone on his throne. "How?"

SkekOk looked up. "Pardon, Sire?" he asked, quietly.

"How did she die?" SkekSo stared at the crystal shard on his scepter. "I would at least like to know."

"Oh…" SkekOk turned his gaze to the floor. "She fell off the balcony. I told her not to fly, but she simply wouldn't listen. Her wings didn't unfold in time and…" He let out an exasperated sigh, covering his eyes.

"Oh, dearest SkekOk," comforted SkekEkt as he approached him. He grabbed his talons and gave them a reassuring squeeze despite the tears that flowed down his face. "You did the best you could to raise sweet, little Brea. She is in a better place now."

"Better place?" retorted SkekVar. "We could have used her to find immortality." He pointed at SkekOk. "Yet SkekOk's foolishness lead him to losing the only lead we had!"

"Still your tongue, SkekVar," snarled SkekZok as he stood by SkekOk's side. "I will admit, she was a pest in the past, but we all grew to tolerate her. Can you not show even a slipper of sympathy for SkekOk?"

"Why show sympathy for the idiot who let the Gelfling get close to SkekGra?" asked SkekLach as she wiped her nose with a handkerchief. "Maybe she wouldn't have died if she hadn't been around that moron all the time!"

SkekVar laughed, nodding his head at SkekLach. "See? SkekLach understands."

"You're all just jealous that  _ we  _ actually got to care for Brea!" screeched SkekEkt. He wildly waved his hand at SkekVar and SkekLach. "I don't recall Brea ever wanting to play with you two!"

"She even admired my work," chimed in SkekTek, "and barely any of you treat me with that amount of respect."

With a deep growl, SkekVar slammed his sword into the floor. "Enough with this stupidity! What truly matters is that our valuable resource is dead, all because we believed that SkekOk was capable of taking care of her!" He looked at SkekSo. "Emperor, we must punish him at once."

"Friends, friends!" broke in SkekSil. He positioned himself between the Emperor's throne and SkekOk. "Fighting will get us nowhere." He looked at SkekOk. "Dear Scroll Keeper, you must be mourning for lost child. You need rest."

"I suppose you are right…" uttered SkekOk.

SkekSil turned to SkekSo. "My Emperor, I am sure we can find another resource for immortality. It will not be too hard for us great Skeksis, no?"

SkekSo stood up and gave a slight nod. "You are full of wisdom as always, Chamberlain."

SkekVar's beak dropped in bewilderment. "But we can't leave this whole problem off at that-"

The Emperor rose his claw at the General, silencing him. He approached SkekOk and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"SkekOk, I understand that you rose the Gelfling as if she was your own," he said, "but you promised that we could have used her for our mission to gain immortality those many trine ago."

"I-I'm sorry, Emperor," spoke SkekOk. "I take full responsibility.

"I am not finished," said SkekSo. He closed his eyes for a moment. "I cannot bring myself to punish you since you worked diligently, but all I ask is that you work harder to find what we seek."

"Emperor!" cried SkekVar.

SkekOk, relieved to hear SkekSo's words, nodded his head. "I understand, Sire. I will not fail this time around."

"Then I shall leave it at that." SkekSo glanced at his fellow Skeksis. "Come, everyone. We have other matters to attend to."

The council walked out of the room with sorrow hanging over their heads. SkekVar, however, marched up to SkekOk, gripping his shoulder tight.

"If  _ I  _ were the Emperor, I would have your head," he threatened in a low voice. "I would be known as the Emperor who never let pompous idiots like you let foriegn Gelfling roam these halls."

SkekOk eyed SkekVar. "Is that regicide I'm hearing, General? You ought to be careful with how you speak, especially since you're the one who flabs about so much." 

Eyes aflame, SkekVar shoved SkekOk away from him. "Be grateful, SkekOk. Be  _ very  _ grateful."

The Scroll Keeper watched the General leave. With an unamused huff, he began to make his way out of the room.

But, as always, something seemed to stop him.

"SkekOk? My friend?"

He whirled around to see SkekSil walking towards him. There was no use in hiding his irritation while the Chamberlain was around.

"What do you want, SkekSil?" he asked.

"Oh, I just have question! One question." SkekSil narrowed his eyes. "Tell me...what happened to the body, hm?"

The question threw SkekOk off-guard. He took a tiny step backwards. "Wh-What?"

"The body," repeated SkekSil, his voice growing cold. "What did you do with it?"

SkekOk swallowed hard before answering. "She...landed in the moat. I tried to grab her, but-but she sunk like a rock."

An interested "Mmm" fled from SkekSil's beak. He chuckled, tilting his head to the side. "What a shame, what a shame." He tapped his chin. "Surely Gelfling is dead, yes?"

"I saw her die, SkekSil," spat SkekOk. He squinted at him in suspicion. "Why are you asking me these things?"

"Oh, do not worry, friend," soothed SkekSil as he gave SkekOk a pat on the shoulder. "It is Chamberlain's duty to know things. Truth is good, yes?"

SkekOk slapped SkekSil's hand away as he turned on his heels to leave. "Leave me be. I have no interest in talking with you." He rushed out of the throne room, feeling SkekSil's stare on his back.

Although he would never admit it aloud, perhaps Brea  _ was  _ right; he was going to suffer for this lie, and SkekSil was already searching out the truth. Why did he think it was worth it saving that disgrace of a Gelfling?

_ Because you wanted to care for her. _

_ Because you were too ashamed to love her like SkekGra had. _

_ Because you are a  _ coward.

Fear. He remembered the inescapable pit of fear that his heart now lied in.


	8. Ruins I Have Left Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "today i climbed the highest mountain i have ever climbed."  
-"ruins" by first aid kit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone! thank you so much for being patient with this final chapter. i had so many ideas of how i wanted this to end but it took me a while to decide on what. i wanted this to be special so that's why it took some time! again, thank you so much for reading this lil fic of mine. like i've said before, i would totally write a huge fic for this if i had the time but hey, there's nothing wrong with little stuff like this! if we ever get a season 2, i'll probably write some more stuff for this.   
as always, kudos, comments, and bookmarks are deeply appreciated. enjoy! <3

The sand blew violently towards Brea, forcing her to draw her shawl tighter around her face. She stifled her coughs as she kept one eye open through the storm. Daring a glance behind her, she saw the stone creature slowly keeping up with her.

"Come on, Lore!" she yelled through the wind. "We're almost there. I just know it!"

Lore picked up his pace despite the sandstorm that they were trapped in. He lumbered towards Brea's side, the green light inside him acting as a small source of illumination.

Brea smiled and patted Lore's long arm. "You make good company, friend." She turned her gaze forward and squinted through the blowing sand. "I can sort of make out a tower, but it's still hard to see."

The stone creature seemed to nod his head in agreement. He, too, looked ahead and made out a jagged, tower-like shape in the distance.

Clutching her shawl tight, Brea bit the bottom of her lip. "I shouldn't have left Rian and the others behind now that I think about it." She bowed her head, staring at the sand that attempted to trap her. "But there's so much that has to be done…"

As they grew closer to the rocky structure, Brea realized that it her assumptions were correct; it was a tower built on the top of a tall rock. She saw no steps or any other sort of way to get up to the top. Climbing appeared to be the only method to reach it.

"I'm afraid we'll have to-" began Brea, but her words were cut short as a harsh gust of wind nearly sent her face-first into the sand. She caught herself before she could fall and whirled around, eyes wide with horror.

Thick clouds spewed bright bursts of purple lightning. The storm brought more fierce winds, intending to catch Brea and Lore with it. Thunder rumbled through the air and echoed throughout the entire desert.

The storm was coming, and it showed no signs of stopping.

Brea shrieked and hurried towards the rocks. "We need to go, Lore! _ " _

Lore shifted his gaze from the incoming storm to Brea. Unbothered by the sand flying around him, he plucked Brea off of the ground with ease.

"Lore!" she shouted, clinging to his arm. "What are you doing?"

Answering her question, Lore threw himself onto the rocks and began his climb upward. Brea watched in both awe and terror, shielding her eyes from the sand the wind brought. 

"Th-Thank you, Lore!" she exclaimed over the howling wind.

The stone creature climbed up the giant rock. Brea saw the sun poking through the stormy clouds, trying to bring its light onto the desert once more. The thunder roared in her ears, and she hid her face within the crook of her shoulder in response.

Lore swung from side-to-side as he progressed further upward. Brea looked over his bulky arm and saw how far up they were. She shrieked, knuckles turning pale as she intensified her grip on Lore.

"Please hurry," she whimpered.

Just as she pleaded for a faster climb, a gust of wind threw Lore's grip off of the rock he was holding on to. Before he could fall, he caught the edge of another stone with the large needle of his hand. It scratched against the rocks as he came to a halt. There, he dangled in the air with Brea wrapped around him.

Brea's palms grew sweaty as she stared at the abyss beneath her and Lore. She swallowed hard, her grip on Lore slipping. Every part of her shook with fear no matter how hard she tried to bring out her courage.

The storm drew closer to the climbing duo, the lightning striking dangerously close to them. Lore rose one arm to the other rock above him, but the deadly wind kept him anchored. Brea watched the bolts of lightning hit the rock, sending pieces of it to the desert ground.

"We need to go  _ now!"  _ she demanded, terrified. She pointed to the sky. "We're going to get electrocuted if we don't move!"

With a wobbly nod, Lore summoned his remaining strength and hoisted himself up to the next stone. Brea looked at the sky, watching the sun hide behind the clouds. She gnawed at the inside of her cheek.

"A-Almost there," she said. "We can-"

Alas, her words were cut short, for a horrendous bolt of lightning hit the rock Lore was standing on.

Lore stumbled backwards, barely catching the edge of the stone. Brea, paralyzed with fear, released her grasp on the stone creature and fell. She couldn't even scream or pull out her wings quick enough as she somersaulted to the ground.

Was  _ this _ how it was supposed to end? Was she going to walk the same fate her mother and sisters had? Was it destined for the Vapran royal blood to die off?

Closing her eyes, she hit one of the stone platforms. A ringing sound reverberated in her head as her vision grew dark.

Death. She remembered the familiar hand of death.

* * *

If it weren't for the distorted wails of the creature outside, SkekGra would have never ventured out of the safety the tower provided during the storm. He looked at the threadbare curtains that danced in the wind, confused.

"Did you hear that?" he asked, wandering towards the curtains.

UrGoh, resting on the platform above SkekGra, shifted his gaze to the curtains. He pointed at them with his staff. "We have...a visitor."

Normally, SkekGra would have made some comeback at the Mystic's remark, but a terrible anxiety kept him from doing so. He looked at UrGoh, a wince on his face. "Will...will you come with me?"

Knowing of SkekGra's nervousness, UrGoh pushed himself off of the platform. Slowly, he walked down the path and onto the first floor of the tower. He took SkekGra's shaking hand, and the two gingerly walked outside.

The storm was beginning to pass, the calm wind proof of this. SkekGra and UrGoh found themselves looking at a stone creature, carrying something in his arms.

The two didn't need another moment to realize who was standing before them.

"Lore!" exclaimed SkekGra as he rushed over to his and UrGoh's creation. "So it was  _ you  _ who was making that-" His words were cut short the moment he laid his eyes upon the creature in Lore's hands.

It was a Gelfling, so tiny and limp in Lore's arms. Her chest rose only by a little as she breathed. She was caked in dust, and her golden hair was in tangles.

SkekGra and UrGoh knew a Gelfling would find the Circle of the Suns, but they never expected that this Gelfling would be  _ her. _

The Heretic fell silent. With shaking hands, he took the Gelfling from Lore and held her close. Tears streamed down his face as he knelt to the ground.

UrGoh placed a hand on Brea's chest. Carefully, he felt for her heartbeat. It was faint, but she was still clinging onto life. "She is...alive."

SkekGra let out a quiet sob and cradled the Gelfling. "I-I don't understand." He looked at UrGoh. "What happened? What happened to her?"

Gently, UrGoh placed a hand behind SkekGra's head. He pressed his forehead against his. "She will...be alright." He stared at the Gelfling. "But...we must attend...to her."

The panic started to rise in SkekGra, but UrGoh's soft touch managed to quell it. He shuddered. "Right. Of course." He quickly stood up and rushed back inside the tower with the Gelfling in his arms.

UrGoh winced and looked at Lore. He motioned the creature towards him and offered an open palm.

"Excellent job…" he said to Lore. "But now...your quest is...complete. You may...rest."

Lore opened the stone plate of his head, revealing a glowing, green artifact. UrGoh raised his hand, but stopped. He sighed and took a step backwards.

"Not now," he said. "You...saved her. She must...see you before...you rest." He turned around and walked back into the tower.

Lore closed the stone plate, hiding the green artifact once more. He followed after his master inside the very place he was born.

* * *

The ringing sound returned to Brea's head as she warily opened her eyes. Everything seemed hazy to her, as if her vision was clouded by a mysterious fog. She tried to move her head to the side, but a dull pain stopped her from going any further. Grimacing, she brought a shaking hand to the back of her head and felt the rigid touch of a bandage. She could even feel flakes of dried blood cling to her fingertips.

All she remembered from before was tumbling to her death, but this certainly was not how she pictured death.

Perhaps Thra had promised to keep her alive.

Through her pain, she heard voices talking from what appeared to be below her. In fact, she now realized that she was sitting on a bed that was low to the floor. She closed her eyes and strained her hearing to listen.

"What if they're after her?" fretted one voice she somewhat recognized. There was a round of pacing footsteps along with it. "They'll kill her in an instant. Absolutely no remorse."

"Perhaps they...did not know...she left," spoke another, softly.

The pacing feet against the stone floor increased. "No,  _ someone  _ is bound to know that she's gone. And when they find her, they'll find us. Then we'll...we'll…" They let out a muffled cry.

"Shh…" soothed the other voice. "We will not...let that happen. Brea...will be safe."

Brea's eyes immediately opened at the sound of her name. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind as horror clawed inside her.

Had the Skeksis finally captured her? Did they find out that SkekOk had lied from the beginning? Was she going to suffer for his foolish plan?

With her fear keeping her awake, Brea wearily pushed herself up to a sitting position despite the pain. She bit down on her tongue to keep herself from screaming out. On quivering legs, she managed to stand. She stumbled towards the pathway leading down to the first floor of wherever she was, but then came to a stop.

Gingerly, she touched the bandage wrapped around her head. She connected the dots and realized that she wasn't in danger at all.

Surely the Skeksis wouldn't have tended to her wounds for leaving. She should have realized it the moment her fingers glided across the bandage. Whoever had cared for her was not an enemy.

_ I can't blame myself, though,  _ she thought as she pressed her hands against the wall beside the path.  _ I'm grateful to even be alive right now. _

Gathering her courage, Brea tip-toed down the stairless platform and arrived on the main floor of the mysterious building. She lifted her head as high as she could to see the sunlight shining through several holes in the ceiling covered by maroon and orange tapestries. Baubles and trinkets sat on stone tables and shelves, coats of dust sitting on their surfaces. Behind her were two curtains leading to what she assumed was the exit.

But instead of escaping through the exit, she found herself fixated on the two figures in front of her.

The figures--one a Mystic and the other a Skeksis--had their backs turned to her. The Skeksis was kneeling on the ground, two out of his four arms tied behind his back. The Mystic was holding him, his head pressed against the Skeksis.

Brea didn't even need to see the Skeksis's face to comprehend who it was.

In a quiet voice, she said, "SkekGra?"

The two looked up and turned around to see Brea. The Skeksis's distraught expression morphed into both relief and shock. The Mystic, however, smiled warmly.

Scrambling to his feet, the Skeksis rushed towards Brea and pulled her into a loving embrace. He shivered, but his hold on Brea never faltered.

Brea burst into tears and hugged the Skeksis, ignoring the pain that escalated from the back of her head. "It's you," she said through tears. "It's really  _ you,  _ SkekGra."

SkekGra pulled back for a moment, holding Brea's face in his talons. "We were worried _sick _about you." He drew her back into his hug, tears streaming down his face. "How did you get here? Was anyone else with you besides Lore?"

At the mention of Lore, Brea whirled around to see none other than the stone creature wandering back into the tower. She let out a sigh of relief with a smile on her face.

"He's alright," she whispered. She looked at SkekGra and shook her head. "And no, it...it was just me."

"He brought you up here," commented SkekGra. "You...you fell, Brea. Did you remember that?"

UrGoh brought a hand to Brea's bandaged head. He could see tiny spots of blood on the back. "You were...injured."

Brea shifted her gaze to the Mystic, and her eyes instantly filled with wonder. She couldn't help but stare.

SkekGra noticed her awe and stood up, placing a hand on UrGoh's back. "I forgot how little you know of the Mystics, Brea."

A sly smile crossed UrGoh's face. "I...am…"

"Oh, here we go," groaned SkekGra.

"UrGoh…"

"Mhm."

"The…"

"Come on."

"Wanderer…"

Brea giggled and nodded her head at UrGoh in recognition. "It's a pleasure to meet you, UrGoh."

SkekGra grabbed Brea's hands and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "Now, you obviously came here for a reason. It's about time you got some answers, isn't it?"

"Yes," answered Brea. She stared at the floor. "There's so much I've heard and seen about what's really happening and…" She looked back at SkekGra with determination sparkling through her eyes. "I need to know everything. And I need to tell you all that's happened at the castle ever since you left."

"And we will most certainly give you those answers, Brea," said SkekGra.

As tears of joy filled up in Brea's wide eyes, she looked at both SkekGra and UrGoh. "Promise?"

SkekGra and UrGoh exchanged glances of both worry and comfort. They then looked back at Brea.

"Promise," they said.


End file.
